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Walawbum, Shaduzup, Inkangahtawng, Nhpum Ga, Ritpong,Myitkyina.

Although the names of these battles are not as familiar to the publicas Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, the name of the legendary Americanvolunteer regiment that fought in them echoes throughout modernmilitary history. Thrown into combat in the Burmese jungle in February1944 at the request of the British government, Merrill's Marauders wasthe first American infantry regiment to fight on the Asian continentsince the Boxer Rebellion.

Assembled in 1943 as the 5037th Composite Unit (Provisional), thethree thousand infantryman who answered FDR's call for volunteers fora secret, "dangerous and hazardous mission" found themselves in Indiatraining for jungle combat. Created to spearhead undertrained (andAmerican-led) Chinese troops in Burma and reopen the land route toChina, the 5037th was expected by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to take 85percent casualties and be disbanded within three months. As it turnedout, the Marauders existed for eleven months, operating successfullyin hostile territory, pioneering long-range military activities injungle and mountainous regions, and completing one of the mostproductive and perilous military campaigns in American history.

Despite its considerable achievements under the most difficultconditions, there has never been a complete history of the regiment,until now. In "Spearhead," James E. T. Hopkins a field surgeon withthe Marauders' Third Battalion in collaboration with John M. Jones,provides a detailed history of the highly decorated unit, from thecircumstances under which the 5037th was formed and its arduoustraining to the many battles in which the Marauders distinguishedthemselves to the unit's deactivation in July 1945.

Drawing on unpublished logs, personal diaries, and histories kept bymembers of the regiment, Hopkins provides a personal story of combatin an environment that was nearly as deadly as the enemy. As a medicalofficer, he witnessed the horrors of jungle combat, the resoluteheroism of the volunteers who fought, and the genuine respect that menand officers in the regiment had for one another. He also chroniclesthe remarkable efforts of the unit's rear echelon to keep thecombatants supplied. With "Spearhead", Hopkins reveals the real storybehind a chapter in the history of the Second World War too oftenofficially forgotten or clouded by myth. "Spearhead" offers aheartfelt tribute to the men who served as Merrill's Marauders and acomprehensive account of their deeds in the treacherous jungles ofBurma fifty years ago. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

NOTE: THIS IS A REGIMENTAL HISTORY
This book is a real gem and a tribute to all those to who served in "Gallahad" force -- 5037th (one has to hand it to the Americans for the most uninspiring numbered regiment systems in the world).

The book reads well and there is plenty of action here for people to sink their teeth into. The detail is gritty extending down to descriptions for just about every combat casualty the force experienced in Burma. It is strung together in a chronological dairy-like style with actions denoted over certain days. For those seeking detail on the battles like Shaduzup and Myitkyina this is indespensible. Like almost all military books, it does not contain enough maps.

The book however lacks a lot of what a straightforward narrative would include: there is little backgrounder on the unit or the political wrangling that surrounded it from start to finish. Also lacking is any real assessment of it in the general overall battle that was developing in the jungles aroung Imphal and which later extended to central Burman Plains. There is also no analysis on the intentions of the Japanese during the engagements, beyond a limited reference to tactical details.

Like most American military history this book does a great job at describing the individual triumphs and failures of the unit and also of individual men. The good and bad outcomes of undaunted American idealism and individualism (as opposed to British stoicism and regimentation) are described in the actions and the effects of this unit.

There has been a lot of finger pointing by mainly the Americans historians (started by Stilwell's pathological anti-British rhetoric) that they felt "let down" by their British Allies on occasion: Stilwell taking the Chindits to task for not seizing Muangok to support the siezing of Myitkyina by the Marauders. I used to think that it was really a fundamental American misunderstanding of how stretched the Chindits were after serving 6 months behind enemy lines without adequate food and supplies. I learned from "Spearhead" that the Americans were indeed deluded, but one cannot fault them since they were equally suffering from the elements, poor food and supplies and a general wasting that brought effectives for the regiment down to 200 men from 3000. That is the same level as the Chindits and you can see how misunderstandings develop when both sides are fighting at the end of their tether in chronic undernourishment...

In the end the Chindits were pulled and disbanded. Ditto for the Marauders. Some people see their abandonment as stab in the back by the US govt. From this and other histories it is difficult to see what other choice the US Govt. had in the matter since the force as a fighting unit had already ceased to exist.

For those that served in Gallahad force what a long, strange and brave trip, it must have been... I would recommend the book as a vital reference to all those who are studying the war in Burma or Elite Fighting Units.

Excellant Unit History
This is an extremely well written, detailed unit history of Merrill's Marauders that I highly recommend. Both the author and the collaborator were members of the unit and bring great authenticity to the book. The author was the battalion surgeon for the 3rd Bn and the collaborator was an intelligence officer. Their sources include first hand accounts, unit records ( what little there were ), and official documents and publications.The book covers the entire time period that the 5307th Composite Unit ( Provisional ) was on active status and encompasses recruitment, training and combat. One of the best sections of the book is the description of the siege of Nphum Ga. The authors descripted, detailed, day by day and unit by unit account of this little known horrific battle is the best I've ever read. The author also gives an excellant record of the medical support ( or lack of ),for the unit, ( which is to be expected considering the source ). He discusses the various health concerns the Marauders had to deal with, such as scrub typhus, malaria, dysentery and of course getting shot at.All in all this is a great book that not only informs but does it in a way that keeps you interested. This book is well worth the read. ... Read more

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Readers of James Merrill's poetry have long noted affinities and contrasts between Merrill and Yeats. This Composite Voice is the first in depth examination of the extensive history and particularly vexed nature of this lifelong poetic relationship. It draws on little-known biographical material, uncollected poems, manuscript variants, and annotations found in Merrill's copies of Yeats poems, essays, and A Vision, as well as a close examination of Merrill's better-known writing, to establish the many ways in which Merrill contends with the older poet's haunting personality and poetic accomplishment. ... Read more

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James Merrill: Knowing Innocence reevaluates the achievement of this important poet by showing how he takes up an old paradigm – innocence – and reinvents it in response to new historical, scientific, and cultural developments including the bomb, contemporary cosmology, and the question of agency. The book covers Merrill’s full career, emphasizing the late poetry, on which there remains little commentary. Illuminating both Merrill’s relation to a tradition of literary innocence from Milton to Blake and Wordsworth to Emerson and Stevens, and his relevance to contemporary cultural debates, the rubric of "knowing innocence" helps us to understand his achievement. Merrill undertakes a career-long effort to know innocence, and develops a thematic and stylistic attitude that is both innocent and knowing, combining attitudes of wonder and hope with reflexive wit, intellectual breadth, and an unflinching gaze at mortality. He ultimately imagines innocence as creative agency, a capacity for imagination, invention, and ethical responsibility. The book demonstrates how, addressing questions of sexual identity, childhood and memory; atomic science, the big bang, and black holes; environmental degradation; AIDS; and the notion of the death of history – while honoring poetry’s essential qualities of freedom and play – his poems perform cultural work crucial to his time and ours.

Customer Reviews (1)

Required Reading For Anyone Who Loves James Merrill
At this late date, it's still quite easy to read >every< book-length study of James Merrill.They're all worth it.To my mind, the two indispensable works are Yenser's "Consuming Myth" and Sastri's "Knowing Innocence."Both smart, sensitive, subtle throughout.The former, especially great on everything through Sandover--and the latter, especially great on Sandover forward. This book transformed my understanding, not just of Merrill, but of themes in contemporary American poetry in general.With much gratitude, highly, highly recommended. ... Read more

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Analyzes the themes and techniques used in Merrill's most important poems, and suggests the influences which shaped hiswork. ... Read more

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Little insight or analysis
James Merrill's biography of William F. Halsey, "A Sailor's Admiral," is a superficial story of Halsey's World War II in the Pacific.The book focuses almost exclusively on World War II, and often is just an account of the battles in which Halsey participated, interspersed with a few command scenes or quotations from Admiral Halsey.There is no analysis of Halsey's actions or insight into his character.After reading this, I did not felt that I knew Halsey any better than I did before reading this book.

But if you're only looking for an overview of Halsey's participation in the Pacific Theater in World War II, this book is readable and does a fair job telling that story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

AReading of "Banks Of A Stream Where Creatures Bathe"
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1KZG34KOPZK3Y "The Summer People" is the poem which I should have liked to have read from this book.But it is nineteen pages long, and my reading of it would far exceed my time limit here.I believe I explain in the video most of what I would like to say about Merrill and this particular selection of his poetry.--If any viewers notice the peculiar-looking gauze over my ear, let me just say that I was lately in an accident and am waiting for it to sufficiently heal before reconstructive surgery can be done.The entire experience has, I think, made me more sensitive to Merrill's sense of the fragility of life than I would have otherwise been.

This or the Selected or the Collected?
In 1982, this book was brought out as a companion to THE CHANGING LIGHT AT SANDOVER, which is definitely what I recommend reading of Merrill if one reads nothing else.Going up to the book DIVINE COMEDIES 1976, this ample collection is far more manageable (and affordable) than the brand new 2001 COLLECTED POEMS.There is also a SELECTED POEMS which encompasses Merrill's poems through 1985.This doesn't mean a whole lot is added over this book, since Merrill was working on SANDOVER through most of the late 70's and early 80's.

What I did, and what I recommend doing, is reading this book and deciding if one wants even more late and early Merrill, which is what the COLLECTED offers.I happen to find early Merrill rather dry and dull, although apparently Harold Bloom loved him.I also happen to find late Merrill a bit too willfully obscure.You can feel him teetering on the edge in SANDOVER.The COLLECTED also offers 25 verse translations and perhaps that will be the tipping point.

The bottom line is, if one wants to get a sense of Merrill outside of SANDOVER, and if one wants to read the poems referred to in SANDOVER, this book allows one to do so.If one wants to own Merrill, lock stock and barrel, then the new COLLECTED POEMS plus the COLLECTED NOVELS plus SANDOVER is needed.Whichever one's preference, one is in for some great reading. ... Read more

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A narrative poem by the author of The Inner Room and the winner of the Pulitzer, Prize, Bollingen Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, two National Book Awards, and the Bobbitt Award, is republished in its entirety. ... Read more

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Target Tokyo- book review
Target Tokyo, The Halsey-Doolittle Raid, written by James M. Merrill gives readers an insight to the lives ofthe men involved in the Tokyo rais.Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle.Much of the book is devoted to the intricate details of the raid.In the first parts of the book he tells us about the planning and training the soldiers went through to learn how to do the job right.Merrill made it clear how important it was that the mission be carried out correctly, and he also made sure that he showed it was the perfect plan of attack. Merrill also showed that many of the men involved in the Tokyo raid had little or no experience, especially with planes.He gave examples of each man's bravery and unwillingness to step down from the attack.Merrill showed the anxiety of the soldiers begining to rise, and how difficult getting each of the planes light enough was a great challenge for the raiders.Merrill also spent much time telling about the raid itself.He gives the storys of each of the different planes, throughout the bombing and the flight back to China.Targert Tokyo, The Halsey-Doolittle Raid gives a very good acount of the Tokyo raid.I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the importance of good planning in war.Thisbook does a great job of giving facts adout the Tokyo raid, and explaining many of the major and minor components. ... Read more

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Settings of eight poems of James Merrell, from his "A Scattering of Salts". For high voice and piano. ... Read more